The Ultimate Beef Stew

This classic warm-you-up stew becomes even more comforting when made with well-marbled pot roast rather than the usual stewing beef. The fat melts slowly as it cooks, tenderizing the beef into juicy melt-in-your-mouth morsels. A slow finish in the oven gives the stew its rich, hearty texture.

Method

In large bowl, whisk together flour, salt and pepper; toss with beef to coat.

In large Dutch oven, heat 2 tbsp of the butter and the oil over medium heat; working in small batches, cook beef, stirring, until browned, about 20 minutes total. Using slotted spoon, remove to bowl; set aside.

Cover and braise in 350 F (180 C) oven for 45 minutes. Stir in cocktail onions; cover and braise for 15 minutes. Uncover and cook until vegetables are tender and beef offers no resistance when pierced with tip of knife, 30 to 40 minutes. Stir in peas; cook for 5 minutes.

Skim any fat from surface of stew; remove thyme, parsley and bay leaves. Let stand for 10 minutes before serving.

Change it up - The Ultimate Beef and Mushroom Stew: In large Dutch oven, melt 1 tbsp butter over medium heat; cook 1 pkg (227 g) button or cremini mushrooms, trimmed, stirring occasionally, until tender, golden and no liquid remains, about 7 minutes. Using slotted spoon, remove to bowl; set aside. Continue with recipe as directed, returning mushrooms to Dutch oven along with beef.

Method

Cake: In large bowl, beat butter with 1 cup of the sugar until fluffy. Beat in egg yolks, 1 at a time. Beat in sour cream and maple extract. In separate bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder, salt and baking soda. Stir into butter mixture, alternating with buttermilk, making 3 additions of flour mixture and 2 of buttermilk, to make stiff batter.

Maple Glaze: In bowl, mix maple syrup with maple extract; stir in icing sugar to make thick pourable glaze, adding up to 1/2 tsp water, a little at a time, to reach desired consistency. Pour over cake. Let stand until set, about 15 minutes. (Make-ahead: Store in airtight container for up to 24 hours.)

Phyllo Crab and Avocado Cups

The combination of crab, avocado and corn blends salty, creamy and sweet. Stuffed into crisp pastry cups, it gives you a dinner party–worthy starter in just 10 minutes. For the best results, use fresh crabmeat, which retains more flavour than frozen.

Nutty Quinoa and Mushroom Strudel

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The hardest part of entertaining? Pleasing all types of palates, especially when you have guests with restricted diets. This savoury vegan entrée is filled with quinoa and mushrooms for a satisfying, delicious meal even meat lovers will enjoy. To serve the strudel as a side, cut it into eight to 10 smaller pieces.

In small microwaveable bowl, microwave remaining coconut oil until melted.

Place 1 sheet of the phyllo on work surface with long end facing you; keep remainder covered with damp towel (to prevent drying out). Lightly brush phyllo with some of the remaining coconut oil. Top with second sheet of phyllo; lightly brush with some of the remaining coconut oil. Repeat layers with remaining phyllo and some of the remaining coconut oil.

Spoon quinoa mixture into 5-inch wide strip over top of phyllo, leaving 2-inch border at each short end and 2-inch border at long end farthest from you. Top with mushroom mixture, red peppers, strained tomatoes and arugula. Fold in short ends over borders. Starting from long end closest to you, roll up tightly.